Chapter One: Enter Midian

[Deviant Excision]

The tricked out transport whipped around, uneasily scooping him up with only minor bruises as Extros fell inside the vehicle before it whipped back around and shot off toward the junkyard with the tiny AI automaton cackling madly as it kicked the throttle up into the next gear. He carefully slid across, kicking the little bot from the driver's seat as he took manual control of the car, breathing heavily as he settled into the cockpit of the suped up ride.

"I don't know how he programmed you but I swear to god you drive my car like that again and I found the next bit of scrap for more explosive rounds you crazy psycho calculator." Extros berated as he topped out the vehicle and slammed it forward toward the scrap heap they called home.

The speeder cruised easily into the trash heap as he drifted it into park behind a pile of scrap and tiny drones that Zips had reprogrammed to his bidding. The suicide doors flung open as the car cut off with Extros extracting himself from it while still muttering curses at the tiny bot as it shot past him. His ragged cloak billowed out behind him as he made his way through the dusty terrain to the humble garage they'd converted years ago into a suitable home. His cold eyes scanned the outside of their hideout before going in, making sure he hadn't been followed as the mutant's threat still lingered in his mind causing him to reflexively go for the ion pistol at his belt as he placed his hand over the butt of the gun.

"One day I'll take care of all those wasted bags of flesh..." He muttered as his toxic blood caused him to purge the contaminated flesh from his body outside the door, emptying his stomach contents on the dusty barren earth at his feet, "You'd think after the first six times I'd gotten carried away with that I'd learn."

Extros spit to the side and casually made his way inside, seeing Zips cuddling the little machination that had nearly killed them as if it were a house cat.

"Your AI needs a little work. The little s**t nearly overclocked my engine and caused the damn thing to explode. We had a little talk though, he knows better now."

As the tiny flew past his head the Karnethian reflexes shot into over drive at the explosion and oncoming impact as he whipped the ion pistol out ready to fire as the tiny machine came whizzing past his head. Extros looked around cautiously as he noticed it was no more than a tiny drone that had become far too ballsy in experimenting with his explosive rounds.Extros holstered the gun as the tiny bot shot off back to its work as Zips spoke, his attention being pulled from the offending creation back to his brother. His ears perked as Zips mentioned requiring assistance, hoping it was new ammunition until his little brother pulled back the tarp, a dejected expression crossing his face as he realized it was another experimental unit. Though disappointed with the outcome he listened as his brother had said, nodding as he placed his hands against the cumbersome unit that the younger sibling had thrown together with a tiny bit of skepticism at its wisdom in trying out an untested piece of equipment.

"You think this is a good idea? I mean you're not exactly mobile enough and it doesn't even look like it's finished...." He mentioned, casting a glance at the exposed wires of the car batteries that powered this massive contraption, "I could always steal a few things. Just gimme a shopping list. I don't think this is a good idea."

He forced down the adrenaline that coursed through his veins, not understanding the meaning behind what his sibling had said entirely but knowing that it could have dire consequence from the tone. Extros steadied himself against the machine as Zips dropped down into the mount.

"The mutant said they're in Midian. He wasn't sure where exactly but they'd been spotted. Be careful out there when you go wandering. I had to.... Do some nasty stuff to get him to talk without an hour long conversation." He stated, trying to divert himself from the current topics as he looked away from the scene before him, "I shouldn't have too much trouble finding them but if Earl spreads word the mutants aren't likely to be too happy without a pay off..."

He'd always hated this part, helping his mad scientist of a younger brother with his crazed experiments in some attempt to regain his body; even Extros knew that it was a lost cause but he'd not had the heart to tell his little brother otherwise, allowing him to dream as the experiments became more dangerous and wildly elaborate over the years. The cost for biomech equipment was far more than they had and the surgeons to accurately graft it to his body were even more expensive unless one wanted some shoddy blackmarket rig that had a chance to explode at every other step or leave you stranded in the middle of the desert. Extros had tried for years to save up but the money required to feed someone who didn't survive off energy was far more than expected. He'd always been this way, memory could not provide any recollection of not being one of the plague born thus the concept of basic human needs truly eluded Extros as he tried with his limited knowledge of biology to explain to himself why his brother wasn't like he was or how his blood from a tiny scrape had left them as orphans when their parents tried to patch him up after a brawl with the neighborhood kids who'd tried to beat his brother's skull in for being crippled. He cringed slightly at the memory and all that passed through his mind was the cruelty of mankind. The lesson had been embedded young inside Extros, the only way to stave off the beastly nature of man was with the brutality of his Karn heritage, the lust for blood and agony so inherently embedded in his very DNA that his predatory instinct had nearly proven his downfall many times. Extros hated the humans, scorned them for what they'd done over the years to what remained of his family. Even upon his birth those around them cried out for him to be killed for being one of the plague born, a cursed creature derived from those who brought the downfall of the Earth.His parents persisted however that even as a Karnethian he would not be evil. The thought almost brought a smile to his lips. What was he if not evil? A bounty hunter that was infamous for bringing in his targets more dead than alive, a ruthless being who would do anything to get what he wanted. In his eyes he had to, it was nothing more than necessity to achieve his goals; a means to an end.

"Set the turrets to defensive mode when you get a chance. I have a feeling we'll need them..."  

[Deviant Excision]

He glared at Zips angrily as his gun was swiped from him only to have it replaced moments later with a list of shiny new upgrades for him to try. Extros inspected the new mod specs carefully on the screen as he began to get giddy, almost hoping someone would tempt him into using them. He winced as the blaring call bellowed forth as Zips set the home base to a higher security level.

"I get that you like to make your presence known but does it have to be so loud? Half of Midian just heard that s**t...." He grumbled while wedging a pinky in his ear to try and stop the ringing.

Extros sighed at his sibling's theatrics, being far less flashy and more attuned for subtle kills as the wretched oldies rock his little brother had discovered brought bile to the back of his throat. The armory was small but none too shabby as Extros made his way to the back, stripping himself of his black cloak and throwing it to the floor.Before him stood a tall locked containment unit, set to voice command. He'd never had the requirement before as it was one of the very first prototype exo-skeletal structures his brother had made and that alone scared even the Karn after seeing the previous three explode around the test droids. He'd been assured it was safe but still, hunters who took too many chances with their luck are generally dead hunters.

"Initiate protocol; codename: Level up. Permission level Extros Khair." He called as the thick black panels of the unit split apart with a violent shudder and the hiss of hydraulics.

{Level up program initiated. Permission recognized, Extros Khair. Karnethian exo-skeletal enhancement privilege granted.}

With a decisive motion Extros turned, praying to the Dread Lord that this would work and he would remain in tact as he backed into the cage-like structure hanging inside by a rusty metal chain. As the exo-skeleton touched his paper-like flesh it snapped around him like a bear trap, locking him into the suit while the program sequences booted up. Minutes passed as the program updated itself, enhancing the parameters of which it worked in connection with the GameOver.exe main base program Zips had coded, each upgrade further increasing the abilities of the structure and reaction times. The suit without Zips' direct control was a formidable force were it to work correctly, Zips told him it would increase his physical strength by threefold with radial sensors that would tap into his inherent reflexive abilities after the system integrated. He was unsure what the last word meant but each time his little brother had to integrate something into his own body to cope with his lack of motion it never sounded as though it were a good thing and quite painful at that. Of course his guess had proved right as the spinal column of the suit released a whirring noise as needle-like structures plunged down his back and directly into his central nervous system. Were it not for his Karn genetics the structure would have likely sent him into shock however his bodily rapidly sealed the wounds around the tiny input as the small plugs tapped into his spine and sent small electrical impulses through it that burned like fire as Extros gritted his teeth in pain.

"You idiot just because I heal fast doesn't mean I don't hurt!" He shouted over the music, rage nearly blinding him as the system finally gave Extros control and he crumpled to the floor. "I swear I'm going to murder him one day. Not even going to question anymore. Just going to put seven bullets through his damn head..."

As the pain dulled to a throbbing sensation he gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet once more. The skeletal system seemed to be in working order, everything running smoothly as he took an uneasy step, wary that it would explode. With a careful flourish he pulled his guns from their holsters once more only to see the exo-suit protrude two cables from the wrist that seemingly hooked directly into the MODREV. Without hesitation he snapped the ion pistol back into its place and connected the cable to his favored weapon.The gun released a small beep as it synched up. Extros popped the ammunition wheel out and withdrew a cartridge specifically designed for easy loading of the MODREV from his pocket. Ten explosive rounds snapped into place as Extros released the magnetic pin that kept them in place as the bullets fell into the designated slots before he snapped the revolver shut. Only two ion shots had been used in his excursion with the mutants and didn't really require any more. If he missed with that the MODREV would compensate with a powerful explosive blast capable of tearing up flesh and at the very least extensive bruising even against some of the thickest riot gear the sewer dwellers had to offer. He moved from the armory's inner workings to see the work of the drones and his sibling, opting to stay out of their way as he agilely climbed up a scrap pile near the side of their home and leapt up to the roof. He preferred the precision kills to the loud and messy however sometimes these things were required in his line of work to send the proper message.

"You shouldn't make so much racket." Extros called out, his eyes scanning the horizon for movement, "Muties tend to have a nasty habit of popping up unexpected. The more you let 'em know where you are the less likely it is you'll survive what they do to you."

His fingers twitched dangerously above his primary weapon's trigger as he slowly pulled his secondary from his belt.Control, inhale and exhale. He'd trained his mind for these things his whole life, defying his instinctive programming as often as he could when not on a mission. Blood pounded in his temples as thin black slits bloomed open in the center of his eyes, like an ancient predator as he hungered for the battle to come. His thin flesh sank in color from porcelain white to a cold unfeeling steel gray as the nobility armor sealed in his flesh. Extros stood sentry like an imposing gargoyle over the scrapyard, only his short cropped raven hair rustling in the warm desert breeze while the group of droids positioned around them. The setting sun seared in the distance as the twilight grew silent with not a noise to be heard aside from the whirring calibrations of the turrets and Zips' new augments.

"Get inside Zip. Protect yourself and the tech. Leave the droids under my command and walk back in. You aren't ready for this yet. You're still untested." Extros commanded from his perch, the complete lack of emotion in his voice portraying exactly that he was far from human, "Go on. Get inside and man the guns if you want but stay out of my way! If I have to I'll shoot out your power cells and make you get inside. You're the brains of the operation and even I know that me wasting ammo to get you to move is a stupid idea."

Though he spoke to the younger sibling Extros never budged, never looked away from his duties. As empty as his predecessor the Karnethians were said to be devoid of souls, of any real empathy. Their only positive factor being their complete and utter lack of restraint in a fight and there was one thing that did not change even through all his training and meditation to stay in control, Extros was very good at fighting and he did not like to hold back. Legendary bounty hunters had been made from the Karnethians, probably about the only thing they were good for, they could stave off death while being crackshots in light or dark. It was said in the war that the government had tried to expand their numbers, provoking more of his ilk from a strange fragment they'd found of the old ones. The experiment was a success, however this also awakened a deep seated hatred they had not accounted for. The proud creatures were not ones to be controlled and in the night they initiated the first Great Feast in nearly thirty years. A cannibalistic ritual where the bloodthirsty creatures consumed the flesh in honor of he who had made them. Since the Karnethian race have been looked down upon as little more than bloodthirsty demons as they spread to the corners of the earth and passed along the legacy with their infectious blood.